The Broncos on Thursday continued to limp through a week of preparing for the most aggressive passing offense in the NFL, with four starters sidelined by injury.
Three of those injured are keys to Denver’s defense: cornerback Aqib Talib, safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Derek Wolfe. Center Matt Paradis also did not practice, because of a hip injury.
But the holes in Denver’s defense, if they don’t mend, could hamper the Broncos (6-3) Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (4-4), the NFL’s most prolific offense, and quarterback Drew Brees, the NFL’s second-leading passer. Talib, who missed Denver’s loss last week at Oakland, remains out with a back injury.
“Really, nothing has changed,” Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. “He’s coming off an injection. It’s a day-to-day process.”
Ward this week added an illness to a hamstring injury and has yet to practice. And Wolfe, who left last week’s game in the first half, probably will miss 2-4 weeks with a fractured elbow.
Tackling an issue. The Raiders rushed for 218 yards on 43 attempts against Denver. Over time, one carry after the other, the Broncos defense wore down. And tackling became an issue.
“It’s technique, it’s effort, and is the want-to,” linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. “We just have to get back to fundamentals. Everybody talked about that. It’s just getting back to football.”
